Growing
Isn’t everything on the farm about growing. The piglets are growing, the garden is growing (but not fast enough yet), the pasture is growing, the cobwebs in the barn are growing and my team is growing.
Ellie – wwoofer number two came yesterday – right on time. She will do just fine. Another good, strong young person. I went to bed last night leaving the young people chatting at the table.
It was a great feeling, listening to their voices recede as the dogs and I retired from the scene. The house AND the farm come alive with growing relationships in the summer.
Ellie went to university to study photography, so I look forward to seeing her take on the farm. She will be here about a month.
The barn at night is still my favourite.
Yesterday I moved Sheila back from her paddock down the back, back to her bed in the barn. The kunekune are settled under the pine trees now so she is moving into their winter quarters for the summer. I took down the electric fence gate so she could come out but she was not going to cross that line where the electric fence had been. Sheila gave me such a sorrowful look – why was I calling her into danger like that. Did I not realise the string hurts. So I poured her food into a bowl just out of the gateway to entice her over. All she did was dart over the line, grab the bowl out of my hands, and carry it back at speed to the ‘safe side’ to eat.
So I left the gates open all the way to the barn and let her work it out herself. She came out later when I called her. I bet she is happy to be back in the center of things again.
Three of the plonkers are going down there to the root cellar field for a while, to grow some more, four will be sold on the 26th. Separating them out will be a bit of a mission. They are a good size now.
We have a gentle day for Ellie’s first day on the farm. Monday is seed sowing day amongst other things – today I will get the pumpkins and watermelons sown. Lynda from Colorado sent me some watermelon seeds – I look forward to seeing how they go out here. Everything we sow today will go into the calendar to be planted out in six weeks.
In October I hope we can exchange more seeds within the Fellowship as part of “My Great-Grandmothers Garden” project.
I hope you have a lovely day.
celi
Weather:
Monday: Partly cloudy skies. High 72F. Winds light and variable.
31 Comments on “Growing”
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What sweet little pigs …and Sheila, of course 🙂
Sheila is so happy to be back in the thick of things – darling girl.. c
The little pigs look to be growing fast – they’ve changed already it looks like.
Yes! Some are growing extra fast – those ones make sure to get the best teat at dinner time.. c
First sleeping piggy has a beautiful golden sheen to her coat, sweet sleepy face 🙂 Laura
Like babies they are lovely when they are asleep.. c
Welcome Ellie! What sweet piggie photos… Still recovering from bronchitis, but have missed checking in with the farm….
I am glad you are feeling better! c
Ceci, I do like following your farm’s progress, and I don’t have to lift a finger. it satisfies my dream of living a farm life. Thanks for sharing.
You are MOST welcome.. c
the pig photos are particularly beautiful today. I wonder how many I have saved in my PIG file? Sleeping baby and wee pig with huge pig are such lovely images. But so is the abstract light in the barn. Your eye is always open, isn’t it? x
I liked the big pig ittle pig too – they had been cruising about together while the other piglets slept – most unusual.. c
More elfin piglet ears, so very endearing. How many plonkers and how many gilts? Are we going to be allowed to name any of them, or is every one intended for the glorious destiny of bacon?
I cannot keep any of Manu’s progeny – then i would have to get another boar and he is such a sweet boy. One way or the other these will all be sold.. c
Of course, I hadn’t considered that. Bacon it is, then!
Those little piglet ears…be still my heart!
Arent they the sweetest little ears..
Oh Good! They made it there. I always worry about the mail. YAY! I hope you enjoy them…they should get ripe around Labor day (here it’s about the 6th of Sep.) They are sweet, crunchy and oh so good!
I look forward to it! thank you again.. c
You are most welcome!
Ahh sweet little pigs. 😀
yes…
we all love those adorable little piggies! Not that we don’t also love Sheila! Have a lovely day!
Sheila is the best –
As I’m just returning from a trip to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, , I can picture Sheila with a little travel bag, moving to her place in the barn. Welcome Ellie.
I think her travel bag is her bowl.. hope you had a great time.. c
I was surprised Sheila would so willingly move around until I see you last comment that her travel bag is her bowl! Can sure see Manu in those piglets. It must be very rewarding to bring complete strangers together and then watch relationships grow, listening to the sharing.
Yes I was thinking the same thing because recently I thought she refused to come out of the root cellar!
Really looking forward to hearing more about the Great-Grandmothers’ Seed Project: ). The light in the evening barn is exquisite! Poor Sheila and lovely wee sweet piglets: )
Is there possibly anything cuter than a piglet? Hardly, I think.
I agree!!!